Rising stars take to waves

THE Wahu Surf Groms welcome in the new year on the Gold Coast this week.

Following hot on the heels of the Burleigh Boardriders' Single Fin competition that wrapped up on Sunday, the new wave of champions took to the waves yesterday on the opening day of the two-day competition.

The venue for today's action will be where the best waves are on Gold Coast to Dbah beaches.

You can confirm the venue by clicking on surfingqueensland.com.

The Wahu Surfer Groms competition is part of one of the leading national series with events up and down the coast. The Gold Coast event is the eighth of the nine-event 2016-17 series.

In the last 10 years individual grom series like the Occy Gromfest and Parko Grom comp have set the pace for the new wave of up and comers who use the competitions as a stepping stone into the big time.

The swell forecasts indicate some playful conditions with waves hanging in from knee to chest high today with northerly wind probably more suited for the northern beaches. This is perfect size for the 80 plus groms who are competing in the event.

Regarded as one of the major testing grounds in the development of young Australian surfers, the Wahu competitions cater for surfers from under eight to under 14.

The under-8 division is a mixed division with parent assistance allowed. In the most previous event, on the Sunshine Coast, the Alley's Jordy Halford made a name for herself by winning the under-8 girls final.

At the same event Palm Beach ripper Archer Curtis dominated the under-14 boys' final with a near-perfect score of 18.93 points out of 20.

As an added bonus, the respective winners of the under-14 boys' and girls' divisions from each event receive an invite to attend an all-expenses paid, three-day surf camp at the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre at Casuarina.

For the South Australian and Victorian events, the Wahu Surf Camp prize will be awarded to the highest place under-14 boy and girl who reside in that respective state.

Adding to the high stakes is the Fresh Wave Awards which are presented to the best and fairest male and female surfers at each event.

The recipients will have displayed a high degree of sportsmanship and exhibit future surfing potential and will each be awarded a $250 Woolworths voucher.

At selected Wahu events, travel agency Flight Centre will be giving competitors and spectators the chance to try out their mechanical surfboard and win prizes.

The Wahu Surfer Groms competitions have helped launch the careers of some of Australia's most promising junior surfers with more than 800 children set to take part in the 2016-17 event series.

While the groms are going hard, their older counterparts will be chasing glory at Bombo Beach at Kiama, south of Sydney.

The world junior professional championships are set to wrap up on Friday with the world's best boys and girls aged 18 years and under battling out for top honours.